Page 63 of Hot for Teacher
And Killian was now in an alarmingly good mood, like Chase agreeing to have dinner with him had been some sort of boon he’d been dying for. Which was ridiculous, since he’d never even asked before.
When Chase’s phone buzzed shortly after they’d gotten situated in the living room—Killian flipping through his book while Chase chose something for them to watch—Chase thought it might be one of his roommates. He’d let them know he’d gotten out of the rut safely, but he wouldn’t have been surprised if they were impatient for more details. Spencer had already been dropping not-so-subtle hints in that direction. (Yo, Chasey, one of his texts had read.How was that alpha rut D?!?!)
But it wasn’t one of Chase’s roommates at all.
It was his father calling.
Chase blinked down at his phone in surprise, and Killian—still a little hypersensitive in the vestiges of his rut—tensed beside him on the couch. “What is it?”
“My dad.”
It was strange for his dad to be calling though. Not just because Chase rarely heard from his parents and hadn’t been expecting a call, but because it was usually his mother who handled the family communication.
Maybe they were coming for another visit?
Chase took a breath and accepted the call. “Hey, Dad.”
“Chase,” his father said. He sounded … curt. Pissed, maybe. “I’ve heard a disturbing rumor.”
Chase straightened, making some space between him and Killian on the couch. “Um. Okay.”
“Chet Hansen says he saw you tonight.” Each word leaving his father’s mouth was clipped and decisive, like an evening news report. “Says you were canoodling with a much older man. He did his research, and he says this man teaches at your university.”
“Oh.” Chase’s mind went blank in a very strange way. Of all the ways for him and Killian to get caught, he’d never imagined his parents being a factor.
“Well?”
Chase shook his head, trying to follow. “Was there a question in there?”
“Don’t act smart,” his father chastised, even though Chase hadn’t been acting smart at all. “Are you carrying about with some pervert alpha professor like a two-bit rent boy, is the question. Did your mother and I not tell you I was pursuing business in Phoenix? Did you not consider what this might do to my reputation?”
Chase was at a loss. He’d never been in trouble with his parents before, even the few times when he’d wanted to be. They’d never noticed enough for him to manage it. So of course he hadn’t considered their reaction. Why the fuck would he?
He tried to think back to what had been so horrendous about him and Killian at dinner. Chase had smelled like Killian’s pheromones, sure. And Killian’s arm had been around him, hadn’t it? And the age difference had probably been obvious enough. But still, they’d only been eating dinner together. It wasn’t like Chase had been blowing him under the table.
When Chase took too long to answer, his father sighed heavily. “Are you screwing one of your teachers, Chase?” he asked, each word said so slowly, like Chase was too stupid to understand otherwise. “Publicly?”
“It’s not—”
“Your mother and I have given you a remarkable amount of free rein, young man.”
Chase frowned down at his lap. “I never asked for that.”
“Excuse me?”
“The free rein. I never asked you to—”
“The amount ofmoneywe have—”
And then the phone was being plucked out of Chase’s hands, too quick for him to protest. He wasn’t sure if he would have, anyway. He wasn’t sure he could take any more of whatever this was that was happening.
Had he wanted them to be mad at him before? Had Chase really thought negative attention was better than none at all? Because actually, it sucked. He hated it.
Killian held the phone to his ear, and Chase had never seen him look so angry before. “Mr. Adler?”
Chase startled. It was weird to hear Killian calling his father that.
“This is the pervert alpha professor. I’m afraid you’ve interrupted our evening together. You’ll have to call back another time. Preferably when you’ve cooled down and gotten your head out of your ass.” His gaze darted toward Chase, his steely blue eyes softening the slightest bit. “You have a wonderful son. I wish you deserved him.”
